1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a local coil unit for use in a magnetic resonance apparatus, of the type wherein the local coil unit has a deformable section and can be adjusted set on an examination subject.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A local coil unit of the above type is known from German PS 198 54 924. In this known local coil unit, an antenna array for magnetic resonance examinations is formed of two parts and has a predefined contour for the examination of the lower extremities of the human body. This local coil unit therefore is not suited for examination of differently shaped examination subjects. The array elements attached on a middle web are fashioned to be partially flexible and thus can be adapted to the circumference of the lower extremities of each patient.
A device is known from German OS 198 54 928, having a belt system formed of a number of belt bands, by means of which a local coil unit can be affixed to a section of a patient. Handling of this device is impractical both for the patient and operating personnel, and the type of the attachment is constricting and unpleasant for many patients, even unbearable in the event that the patient experiences claustrophobia, as is common for many patients in a magnetic resonance apparatus
U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,146 discloses a local coil unit formed of two parts for the acquisition of magnetic resonance signals in examinations of a human abdomen, in which both parts are connected via an axis such that they can be pivoted with respect to one another, and the local coil unit can be adjusted on the patient and be adapted to the patient's circumference, but not to the patient's individual contour.
German OS 38 19 541 discloses a magnetic resonance apparatus that has local coil units with rigid contours that are attached to arms, with the arms respectively being formed of a number of links connected such that they move with one another, so the arms are thus quasi-flexible. The local coil units are thereby adjustable on the examination subject. Due to the rigid contour of the local coil units, however, an optimal adaptation to the contour of the examination subject is not possible.